LTG Van Antwerp Is New Chief of Engineers

Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp became the 52nd Chief of Engineers and commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on May 18. He assumed this position from Lieutenant General Carl A. Strock, who retired after 36 years of military service.

General Van Antwerp’s previous assignment was as commanding general, U.S. Army Accessions Command and deputy commanding general for Initial Military Training at Fort Monroe, Virginia. The Army Accessions Command consists of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky; U.S. Army Cadet Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia; and the U.S. Army Training Center, Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Additionally, General Van Antwerp exercised Department of the Army directed executive agent authority over the Military Entrance Processing Command.

Command assignments include the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood/Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District during the Northridge Earthquake of 1994; the U.S. Army Division, South Atlantic, Atlanta, Georgia; and the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Other assignments include chief of staff, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; assistant chief of staff for Installation Management, Washington, DC; director, Office of Competitive Sourcing, office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research, Development and Acquisition), Washington, DC; executive assistant to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC; executive officer, office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, DC; chief, Military Engineering and Construction Division, U.S. Army Western Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii; executive officer, 84th Engineer Battalion, 45th General Support Group, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; and instructor, Department of Mechanics, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York.

Gen. Van Antwerp graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1972. He completed Ranger, Airborne and Air Assault training, the Engineer Officer Basic Course and the Engineer Officer Advanced Course. He holds a master of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a master of business administration from Long Island University in New York. He is a registered professional engineer.

This article appears in the May-June 2007 issue of International Dredging Review